Transform a Starter Home with California Bungalow Style

A starter home is often an unfurnished, or sometimes partially finished, fixer-upper that is a bargain for a new family, single person, or as a potential rental property. Starter homes are exactly what the name implies—a way to get started as a homeowner. Transform a starter home with California bungalow style renovations, adding value and curb appeal to your new place with some work and a few good decisions.

Stucco, Wood, and Siding

For most California bungalow style starter homes, you can add a lot of curb appeal by transforming the outside with stucco, wood shingles, or vinyl siding as the home’s exterior. Chimneys should be made from brick if there is one on the house, but stone is also a fashionable choice with this style. In some parts of the world, the “California” style bungalow sports a brick exterior, but these are often considered upscale homes in the United States and not the classic California bungalow style.

Bungalow Porch

A California bungalow style porch will not wrap around the starter home, but rather be shaped like an L around one side and the front of the home. You do not have to enclose the porch, but this became very popular about seventy years ago in order to eliminate the noise from passing vehicles on busy streets in the city. Enclosing the porch is a great way to add value to the home too, and it makes the front of the home very aesthetically pleasing.

The Living Room and Kitchen

Another difference in a modern home and a California bungalow style is that the living room is also the entryway, that first room that you enter through the front door of the home. The kitchen is smaller in a bungalow home, closer in size to a galley kitchen with a separate space for dining. In most bungalow-style homes, the living room and dining room are one large open space, and the open floor plans are very trendy and popular today.

Fireplace

In many bungalow homes, the living room’s main feature is a fireplace, which is the focal point in this part of the home. Rather than a modern cool, contemporary look, stick with the warm, inviting shades and accessories with this design style to make it feel homey and comfortable. A fireplace mantle is a great way to add symmetry in the room if it is small or oddly shaped, creating balance in the home’s largest room. Hang wrought iron grilles, Western metal decor or rustic Southwestern metal wall art above the mantle.

AKA California Bungalow Style

As an aside, there are a few other names for the California bungalow style home, especially throughout the United States. These homes may also be called craftsman style, mission style, or simply bungalows, depending on the area and interpretation of identifying features such as the front porch and exterior building materials. It may also depend on whether the floor plan is open, the size of the kitchen, the existence of a separate eating space, the addition of an attic, and whether the home has gables. Each of these contributes to the naming of a particular style of home.